TikTok: the new LinkedIn for Gen Z
TikTok is now rivalling LinkedIn for job prospects. Around one in five young adults say they have applied for roles and secured interviews via TikTok.
Eva Chan, career expert at Resume Genius, believes people are “leaving opportunities on the table” if they don’t incorporate TikTok and other social media platforms into the job search process.
Google’s Featured Snippets might show conflicting info
A new study by Dragon Metrics has found that the Featured Snippets in Google Search results often show conflicting statements and information from the same source.
Snippets are typically populated from relevant passages of content on a web page and are often presented as Q&As or in a table or list.
However, the study’s author claims they can act as a “big bias machine,” with information conforming to search intent rather than being factual and accurate. They also regularly use opposing statements from the same piece when queries are changed slightly.
The findings raise questions about the format’s ability to accurately represent in-depth content.
In response, Google defended the format and urged searchers to use the “About this result” feature for context and to evaluate sources.
TikTok publishes post-holiday marketing guide
Marketers are busy finalising strategies and content for the festive shopping season, but TikTok has an eye on the weeks after Christmas, a period it calls “Q5”.
In a blog post, TikTok said, “Audiences on TikTok are actively seeking new deals, trends, and products to kickstart their new year. Drive post-holiday sales during this hidden gem of a shopping moment.”
The new 13-page guide urges marketers to use carousel product images and ad campaigns to move customers along the funnel, from awareness to conversion. It also provides tips on how to use TikTok to drive offline sales with targeted promotions.
Will TikTok still be banned in the US?
Another TikTok story: this time resulting from the biggest story of the week. Following Donald Trump’s victory in the US election on Tuesday, there is speculation that the bill to ban TikTok could hit the buffers.
Trump vowed to “save TikTok” on the campaign trail. Unsurprisingly, it’s driven by the fact that he’s now a “big star” – in his own words – on the platform.
YouTube dominates content consumption on Election Day
YouTube was also a big winner on Election Day. Viewers watched 84 million hours of presidential news across all platforms on Tuesday, and YouTube accounted for 80.6% of that figure.
It was boosted by traditional news outlets hosting broadcasts on the site. Fox News’ stream was the most popular, with a record 1.14 million peak viewership.
Threads fails its election test
However, it wasn’t a day to remember for Threads. Meta’s platform frustrated users by failing to surface relevant, trending content during the day.
There has been criticism of the ‘For You’ feed before; users are not happy that they often see posts that are more than 24 hours old. This differs from rival X, which uses a real-time algorithm to deliver breaking news and fresh content almost immediately.
